Wednesday, 25 August 2010

Federal Judge Blocks Obama's Stem Cell Therapy Policy

It is a major setback to California brain injury lawyers, brain and spinal cord injury victims, and scientists nationwide. A federal district judge this week blocked the Obama administration's 2009 executive order allowing embryonic stem cell research, on the grounds that it violated a ban preventing federal money from being used for destroying embryos.

US Chief District Court Judge Royce Lambert ruled that federal funding for embryonic stem cell research is banned by the law that dictates that federal money cannot be used in research in which destroyed embryos are used. The judge did not buy into the Obama administration’s argument that embryonic stem cell research on its own did not warrant or call for the destruction of embryos.

According to Judge Lambert, if even one step of the research process involves the destruction of an embryo, then that entire research process is not eligible for federal funding. This definition of what kind of research is and is not eligible for federal funding is a much narrower one than the one that existed during the Bush administration. Ironically, the laws governing stem cell research were believed to be much more stringent and restrictive during the earlier White House administration.

Obviously, this has proved to be a major shock to scientists who are currently involved in varying phases of embryonic stem cell research around the country. The scientists are researching the potential of embryonic stem cells to treat a variety of conditions and illnesses. The benefits of stem cells arise from the fact that these are able to develop into any form of tissue. That is especially useful in research into diseases like cardiac disease and diabetes. Many spine injury lawyers in fact, have been building hopes on budding stem cell research in these areas.